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Live sport on SN this weekendPatterson doubles up at Whanganui
Kevin Robertson, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk • August 29th, 2026 6:24 pm
Belles Beau winning at Whanganui on Saturday | Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images)
New Plymouth conditioner Robbie Patterson produced a winning double at Whanganui on Saturday, including impressive open sprint winner Belles Beau, who kicked off a new campaign with victory in the Take It Easy Tours (1200m).
Patterson had indicated he was expecting a forward showing from the son of Iffraaj, although he may have been a little worried when his charge got back on the inner after jumping well for rider Craig Grylls and only had two horses behind him with 600m to run.
With the pattern on the day favouring on-speed runners, supporters of the six-year-old were clutching their worry beads rounding the home bend as Grylls began to loop the field, but was still five lengths from the leaders at that point.
Those worries soon dissipated as Belles Beau swept to the lead and continued a powerful run to land the win by two lengths from Amazing Son and Belzoni, who both carried 6.5kgs less than the winner, who lumped 60.5kg to victory.
Placed twice at Group Two level during his summer campaign, Belles Beau looks to be in for a profitable spring given the way he completed his first-up assignment.
“He is right there and is a Group One (contender),” Patterson said. “He has furnished into a lovely horse and has a great nature.
“He goes really well fresh and with the right man on top I was pretty confident of a good run.
“He is up in the weights now so we will have to go to weight-for-age (races), but he won’t run in the Proisir Plate (Gr.1, 1400m) as it is next week but maybe the one after that (Gr.1, Howden Insurance Mile, 1600m).”
Grylls wasn’t overly concerned with his early position after being in a similar situation fresh-up in his last campaign.
“He was very good today, although they got him off the bridle early,” he said. “I wasn’t worried as he won fresh-up the same way at Waverley last campaign.
“It was a good effort first up with 60.5kgs and he will take a lot of benefit out of the run.
“He was ready to go and has pulled up well. He is a good, genuine horse and I believe he has a black-type win in him.”
Bred and raced by Eddie and Nicola Bourke and Allan Piercy, Belles Beau has had 18 starts for six wins and over $218,000 in stakes.
Earlier in the day, promising four-year-old Bokushi added a second win to his career record when he out-toughed local runner Trainwreck to capture the Wanganui Chronicle 1340 (1340m)
Apprentice Lemmy Douglas took full advantage of the son of Swiss Ace’s early speed to park himself outside Trainwreck, and that pair went toe-to-toe all the way up the Whanganui straight before Bokushi thrust his head in front right on the line.
Patterson had slightly favoured the chances of stablemate Meloni prior to the race, although he also identified the eventual winner as better than just making up the numbers.
“He had the advantage as he could put himself in the race and he toughed it out,” Patterson said.
“I was also pretty happy with the way Meloni (fourth) went through the line, and while the sting is out of the tracks we will carry on.
“He (Bokushi) is going to get a lovely mile as he relaxes well and it’s the first horse I have had for Russell Warwick and Gerry Harvey, so I’m rapt I’ve got a nice one.”
Bokushi was bred by Harvey, who races him under his NZ Thoroughbred Holdings banner, and has never finished further back than fourth in six career starts, which have now netted the two wins.
